Would be great if there was a 'dating site' as such to match specific dogs to specific owners/families. I too think there is no one breed that is going to be good for every novice dog owner. It really does come down to what that particular owner wants and is willing to give, and what that particular dog wants and is willing to give. You can generalize about certain breeds, but the truth is, in a litter of pure bred pups, you will have temperaments and energy levels all over the chart.

A good breeder and a good rescue will match the pup or dog to the owner most suited for it.

my wife karren and i adopted a golden retriever/yellow lab mix puppy named "katie" not too long ago, and i have found her to be one of thew smartest, most responsive dogs i have ever had. i would definitely recommend looking for this mix at a local animal shelter! katie is a little over 1 year old, and she was born july 4th 2009.

I think its a diffucult one this , I was a new owner in 2010 , I was influenced by friends who had rescued a lurcher and 2 greys , my first was a rescue lurcher but I wouldnt say he was easy, he has needed a lot of time to get his recall to as good as I am going to get it and is a bit of a character , its frustrating not knowing his background so you would need to take that into account when taking on a rescue, my second was a retired grey she is 3, she has been a joy and so easy to manage other than getting her used to living in a house but that has been an adventure for both of us , and in terms of background I have traced her line back to 1820 which is real interesting , the main thing is a dog is a massive committment and IMO has to become part of the family and treated as such , good luck and hope you find a lovely doggie just right for you !

I guess the question is are people ready to adapt and to what extent. Perhaps when people deliberately get an 'easy' dog the danger is that their expectations have been set and they may find it hard to adjust when the 'easy' dog isn't quite so manageable (makes me think of that youtube vid someone posted with the cartoon conversation between owner and dog trainer 'I bought a labrador retriever, they are supposed to be gentle and great with kids...'). Whereas if you're expecting a more difficult dog then anything easier is a bonus!

My first dog (OH's first besides family dog) does not look like an easy first owner dog on paper. GSD x NI so you might think big potentially guardy, nervy beastie x big potentially bouncy escape artist with a bit of possible separation anxiety thrown in the mix from both sides. We did ask the breeder to advise on a pup from the litter and she reccomended ours as the less bolshy bossy pup and she has proved a good choice.

As it is she is IMO quite an easy dog, friendly and good natured with people and dogs and my cat, trainable (to the basics we need), obviously prefers our company but is content left in her safe area at home with kong, toys etc when we leave, rarely destructive (lost the odd shoe, that's about it). As a bonus she's quiet - rarely barks unless she's trying to get next door'sdog to play. She does need a good walk ideally of 1h + daily and free running time when we expected but on occasions when we haven't been able to take her out she doesn't go mad in the house.

I suspect, reading about other people's dogs on here that we have been lucky and another dog of ANY type may not be so easy and so we need to make sure we haven't been lulled into a false sense of security for next time!

we just had a border collie x springer spaniel come into rescue.. It was living in a tiny flat with first time owners.
Yes.......... Its nuts. But what would you expect!!!?

Oh that poor dog. Having been a BC owner I know how much exercise and stimulation they require. What were they thinking. Cute little puppy no doubt. I despair

It's so hard to answer this kind of question as it's very dependent on the person, their lifestyle and the dog even more than its breed.

My partner's first dog was a Puli/Samoyed mix (yes...for real!) and my first dog (ours together) is a Border collie/Golden retriever mix. I'd imagine most people wouldn't have suggested either of those sorts of mixes for first time owners yet this dog, especially, has worked out brilliantly for us!

If a person is active, plans to get involved in agility, takes long hikes, long walks, is dying to play a lot of fetch and do a lot of training with a dog, then most Border collies might work out just fine.

If a person is a couch potato, wants a dog who's not high energy, wants a dog they can walk for a mile or so each day and nothing more, and doesn't want to train beyond sit, then most border collies probably wouldn't work out (I know this one from experience as my parents ended up with a young border collie when I was a kid and rehomed her to a woman who lived on a farm after having her for 6 months!).

One of the things I suggest, which isn't breed specific at all, is that first time owners get an adult dog. Puppies are a LOT harder than adults and you can sort of ease into dog ownership if you get a 2-3 year old dog who is past the puppy stages. Our dog was about 2ish when we got her and she was already housetrained and much easier to train than a puppy.

My first dog that wasn't one of the family dogs, was a GSD at 18, and when I left home not long after, I worked full time, and lived in a second floor flat . She had an hour long walk in the park across the road each morning, I came home at lunch for a walk and play, and then home in the evening. We had a fab time together, she snoozed while I was at work, and living in a flat worked for us. It was a case of love me, love my dog , she went everywhere with me, and I always trusted her judgement in men We later moved into a bigger place, with our own garden and not a shared one.
The point I am making badly, if you are willing to make it work, and put the time in, I think with the right knowledge and time and effort, most breeds are suitable for first time owners, IF they suit you and your lifestyle, and you are willing to put the effort into it.

I think thats what makes it work. You could have 5 dogs in a tiny flat that are happy and settled IF you put the work in and provide enough exercise and play outdoors, rules indoors and so on.

I know a lady that has two large breed dogs in a flat and they are very happy and settled they get lots of outdoor time and yes she works but has a regular dog walker at least twice a day on top of the walks and outdoor time she gives the dogs. I did ask how she managed with big dogs in a small flat and she said rather them than two more people which there is the bedroom space for, she loves her dogs to bits, so again i dont necessarily think a flat makes it a no no.
I think it is how you deal with it, if you have the dogs best interest at heart, not the lazy view etc and you know about the breed you are getting and are prepared to do what they need, and more importantly enjoy doing it, (grooming, off lead exercise, walking in fields if that type of dog, not pavements, 2 hours walk etc, then whichever they need you are happy to do and do it for years and years), then that means any dog could potentially suit anybody.